Author: Martha J. Martin
This is the third and final book in my Lawrence County, Ohio Jail Registers series, covering the years 1911–1923.
This period brought significant changes to Lawrence County, including World War I, Prohibition, and new federal laws that presented challenges for local courts and law enforcement.
The jail registers document individuals arrested for offenses involving moonshine, illegal possession of liquor, gambling, desertion, and other violations of the law.
As the county jail became overcrowded with men, women, and even young children, some prisoners were transferred to institutions elsewhere in Ohio or to federal facilities.
Fortunately, many of these historical records have been digitized and are available through FamilySearch. However, some records remain restricted for privacy reasons, and many have never been indexed, making individual names difficult to locate.
I carefully abstracted the Lawrence County Sheriff's jail registers and created an every-name index to make these valuable records more accessible to genealogists and historical researchers.
Together, the three volumes document more than 50 years of Lawrence County jail records, from 1867 through 1923, offering a fascinating look at the people, events, and changing laws that shaped the community.